Leverkusen city and football guide

• Leverkusen: the city
  
• Getting there and around
  
• Bayer Leverkusen: a fan's guide  

Leverkusen city

No, it's not a suburb of Cologne, even though it looks like that on a map. Leverkusen is a city in its own right, with green space between it and Cologne - albeit all of a mile or so.

 

Leverkusen is a relatively new city, created in 1930 through the merger of several places. It's known throughout Germany and the world as a chemicals base, home to the Bayer company which created the football club.

It'll come as no surprise that its biggest landmark is related to the company - the huge Bayer illuminated sign is apparently the biggest neon illumination in the world. Pub bore fact.

Could have been worse, could have been a McDonalds M: The Bayer sign. picture atamari

 

 

Other than that, and without be too harsh, Leverkusen is unlikely to detain you long. It's a working city, not a tourist destination.

You could stay there - there are a few hotels in town, mainly for the benefit of visiting business people - but its close proximity to party city Cologne means that remains a far more popular option.

As prices in Cologne can rocket during trade fair I stayed briefly in Hotel Astor in Opladen, a district of Leverkusen. Pictured here on one of main drags in Opladen, it's a good option at a cheaper price.

It's too far to walk from there to the ground, but free football buses run from Opladen bus station to the Bay Arena (leaving at 2pm on 3.30pm Saturday matchdays).

Alternatively you can catch the train and go one stop down to Leverkusen Schelbusch.

Getting there and around

 

 

Cologne Bonn Airport is the closest for Leverkusen. You could reach Leverkusen from the airport with one change of train (at Koln Messe Deutz) in as little as 40 minutes.

 

Dussledorf Airport is a pretty good second option. Trains do run directly from the airport through Leverkusen Schelbusch station - and if it doesn't stop there, just head on in to central Cologne and make the short 15 minute journey back out again.

 

If you are staying in Cologne and visiting Leverkusen, make sure any day ticket you buy must be a 2b City Plus ticket as Leverkusen is just outside the inner limits. This costs 7.90 euros for one person or 12.10 euros for up to five. Single tickets are 3.20 euros each.

 

A Koln card DOES include the journey to Leverkusen and back within its free transport (as well as to and from Cologne/Bonn airport).

 

Bayer Leverkusen: a fan's guide

 

IMPORTANT 2009 NOTE: The Bay Arena is undergoing major refurbishment and Bayer Leverkusen are playing all their remaining 2008-9 season games at the LTU stadium in Dusseldorf. This stadium normally hosts Fortuna Dusseldorf in the Third Liga - but with a 51,500 capacity it's bigger than Leverkusen's Bay Arena.

For up to date info go to the Bayer website.

Who are yer? Bayer 04 Leverkusen

 

Leverkusen is renowned for the pharmaceutical firm based there - so it's no surprise it was that which formed the club in 1904.

Success was limited for many years but in 1979 the club hit the Bundesliga top flight and has stayed there ever since. 

 

The biggest success, the crowning glory of them all came in 1988 when Bayer lifted the UEFA Cup - beating Espanyol on penalties after fighting back from a 3-0 first leg deficit.

 

However, a period in the early part of this century saw Bayer - nickname the Werkself (factory squad) - become the nearly men of German football.

 

 

The side choked in 2000 to throw away the league. They did the same in 2002 - but to compound that horror season, the club also lost in the final of the Champions League and in the German final. Second all round. They're probably still getting over it.

 

It's been tougher since then, with a brief flirt with relegation, but expectations remain high. Leverkusen threw away a UEFA Cup spot on the final game of the 2007-2008 season - and angry fans burned their jerseys in disgust. The manager Michael Skibbe was fired.

 

Bayer is known as one of the more family-friendly venues and clubs but also gets labelled as plastic by rivals, who claim success is based on big backing rather than a big fan base. I have to say they seemed pretty passionate when I went.

Where do you come from? Bay Arena

Right now (autumn 2008) the Bay Arena is a building site. The powers that be at Leverkusen aren't messing around when it comes to improving the stadium which, with a capacity of 22,500, is just not big enough.

 

No way, they're not content with sticking up one new stand or shoving on a small extension, they're going for the full monty.

 

Going up: The Bay Arena begins to expand.

 

The arena, renowned as a tight, cosy ground is being enlarged and expanded so it can hold more than 30,000. 

 

On my visit, in August 2008, giant pillars were rising around all sides of the stadium and large areas were roped off. Around the back, even more dramatic work is going on with major foundations being dug and supporters kept safely at bay.

 

All this means that right now the entire arena is roofless and open to the elements - so take your sun tan lotion or rain mac as applicable.

 

It's still a striking arena - one tier all the way round with boxes dominating one end and a hotel backing on to the other (currently closed during the renovations).

 

 

 

Cracking view for the prawn sandwich brigade: The dominating end of the Bay Arena.

There's terracing in one corner for the home fans - the near right hand corner as you view the ground from the main road. Visitors are housed on a terrace in the far left hand corner.

You remain right on top of the pich wherever you are, and are guaranteed a good view.

 

Here's my video of the club at home to Hoffenheim in August 2008 - running out to the Verve no less.

 

 

And here's video two at the end of the game.

 

 

 

 

We're on our way: Getting to the ground

Leverkusen may be historically an industrial base but the Bay Arena is in a leafy part of the city within the Stadtpark.

All fans arrive on the one main road and a large number are bussed in from nearby locations on free football buses. Look out for these on your arrival in Leverkusen, hop on board and you're whisked to the ground.

 

None for 90 minutes then 20 come at once: Football special buses outside the ground.

 

 

After the match, a couple of dozen buses line the road for the return journey, finding yours isn't that easy so do ask one of the many volunteers. Be warned, they don't hang around forever.

 

If you're staying in Cologne there's two options.

The best route in is by S-Bahn or RE mainline train from Koln Hauptbahnhof (both covered by 2b City Plus tickets) to Leverkusen Mittee, a 15 minute journey, with up to half a dozen trains an hour.

Arriving at the station, head right (away from the middle of Leverkusen) on a road on the edge of a park. Stay on this route for ten to 15 minutes until you reach the main road, Bismarckstrasse - then turn left and the arena is five minutes on your left, over the bridge.

 

An alternative is to take an RE train to Leverkusen Schlebusch (on the train route to Wuppertal). This runs the other side of the arena. From the station, head left towards the ground (look out for the cranes). This is marginally closer to the ground but trains only run half hourly.

 

Bag a seat: Buying a ticket

I found buying a ticket pretty easy over the phone. English was spoken and i had to send a fax with details to the office, which they processed and confirmed within a couple of days. With the arena a modest capacity and largely sold out, the chances are you'll be put in the seated section between home and away fans, F4. I paid 38 euros for a ticket 

You collect your tickets from gates 18 and 19 which are round the ground on the left hand side as you look from the road. If you are in F4 section, continue round that side of the stadium for entry round the back.

Details on the club website ticket section are in german although if you do register as a fan you can order tickets this way.

 

Who ate all the pies? Eating and drinking

 

There are a couple of drinking holes close to the ground - once more, looking at the stadium you can head left over the bridge for a few bars.

 

Pre-match gathering: The biergarten, complete with barbecue at the back.

 

 

You can just see the entrance through the trees. It's packed but service is speedy and live football is shown inside.

There are also numerous bars inside the ground where a Kolsch, the local brew, will set you back 3.50 euros and there's a variety of bratwrust and burgers for 2-2.50 euros.

 

The closeness of Cologne means you can enjoy a drink in the city's Heumarkt before the game but I'd recommend being on your way to the Cologne main station a good 90 minutes before kick off.

 

Buy a souvenir: Stores

 

At this time of refurbishment the main shop at the ground on matchdays appears to be a kiosk on the other side of the road, with shirt printing in a gazebo alongside. There is also one inside the ground near the home end.

 

 

There is also a newly opened club shop in Leverkusen, the address is Breidenbachstr. 6-8 (next to Marktplatz in Wiesdorf). It is open from 10am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saurday.

 

Alternatively head online to the fanshop